Aug. 12, 2011 - PRLog -- British Airways has selected Airline Placement Limited (APL), a wholly owned subsidiary of CTC Aviation Group plc (CTC), to sponsor all cadets for the British Airways Future Pilot Programme (FPP). British Airways has also nominated CTC Aviation, with flight schools in both the UK and New Zealand, as an approved supplier of the cadet training for the Future Pilot Programme.

Launching the Future Pilot Programme today (11 August 2011), British Airways confirms that APL will sponsor nearly 100 cadets in the first year. It is anticipated that half of the estimated 800 pilots who join BA over the next five years will be successful Future Pilot Programme graduates.

APL plays a vital role in the establishment of new sponsored flight training programmes, sponsoring the pilots, securing the training and then placing them with the client airline.Chris Clarke, Chairman of CTC Aviation Group plc said: “We are extremely proud to have been selected to operate this ground breaking programme with British Airways. Modelled on our hugely successful CTC Wings Programme, which has seen some 2,000 pilots trained for airlines around the world, BA’s Future Pilot Programme provides even greater support and security for successful applicants and will certainly bring the profession into the reach of a far wider section of people than has been possible recently. The launch by British Airways of its Future Pilot Programme addresses not only the challenges that the industry faces in securing its new pilots for the future, but also provides a much needed stimulus for the profession itself. We are proud to play such an important role in helping to bring this programme to fruition”. “Having worked closely with British Airways for over 15 years, we see this contract as an endorsement of our relationship and proof of our ability to develop innovative solutions for both airlines and pilots alike.“

In this pioneering new programme, British Airways is prepared to provide the necessary guarantee to enable an applicant to secure a bank loan for the funding required, together with a conditional offer of a contract of employment to successful candidates. “We are delighted to have developed a cadet programme that helps even more talented people train to become pilots with British Airways. APL’s innovative solutions have enabled us to do just that. The Future Pilot Programme is a fantastic opportunity for anyone, from any background, to realise their ambition of becoming a pilot and flying for British Airways” said Captain Robin Glover, Head of Resourcing, IR and Strategy at British Airways. “By making the initial training more accessible to a wider range of people, we hope to be able to attract the very best talent out there.”

The Future Pilot Programme is part of a wider pilot recruitment plan at British Airways. The airline is also taking on current commercial pilots and working with the UK Armed Forces to give military pilots a new career in commercial aviation, once their agreed service period has ended.